U.S. Men's 400m Relay Team Claims Silver, As Bahamas Win Gold

Ramon Miller (left) of the Bahamas crosses the finish line ahead of Team USA's Angelo Taylor to win the 4x400m relay gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics.

Alexander Hassenstein
/ Getty Images

Originally published on August 10, 2012 4:18 pm

The Bahamas men's team has won the 4x400m relay, edging past a surprisingly quick U.S. team to take the gold medal. It was the first gold medal for any male athlete from the Bahamas. The quartet ran a time of 2:56.72, setting a national record. The U.S. set a season best of 2:57.05 to take silver.

Trinidad and Tobago took the bronze medal, just ahead of Great Britain.

The Bahamas led the race after the first lap, with the U.S. running in second. And the two teams' runners stayed ahead of the pack, extending their lead to make it a two-team race.

As the third leg began, South Africa, which began the race in lane 1, trailed the field. By the time its anchor, Oscar Pistorius, the man who made history at these games, received the baton, he was well behind the field.

In that third lap, U.S. runner Tony McQuay took over the lead midway through, and then handed off to Angelo Taylor.

The U.S. and Bahamian runners stayed close all through the middle of their lap, but after the final turn, the Bahamas' Ramon Miller shot past Taylor to take the gold medal.